Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Home Cooking-2

2 thyme sprigs

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Parboil the potato slices in a pan of salted boiling water for 5–6 minutes. Drain and season with
salt and pepper.
2. Place a large heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat and add the goose fat. When melted and
hot, add the potatoes and fry for 1–2 minutes on either side, until beginning to brown. Add the shallots
and garlic, season with salt and pepper, then add the herbs (you may need to do this in batches).
Continue cooking until everything is nice and golden. Serve straight away.

HERBY BUTTER BEAN SALAD WITH CRISPY PITTA
BREAD

SERVES 4

If you don’t want teenagers, especially hungry boys, to turn up their noses at a salad, be sure to pack it
full of carbohydrates to fill them up. This Lebanese-inspired salad includes both pitta bread and
butter beans, which make a mellow counterpoint to the sharpness of the lemon juice, sumac (a citrus-
flavoured crushed berry) and pomegranate seeds. Great for a summer picnic with grilled meats or
with Pomegranate Molasses-Marinated Spatchcock Quail.

2 large pitta breads

Olive oil

1 × 400g tin cooked butter beans, drained
200g radishes, trimmed and halved
2–4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 cucumber, deseeded and sliced
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
4 celery sticks, finely sliced
Small bunch of mint, leaves finely chopped
Bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
Seeds from 1 pomegranate

1 tbsp ground sumac

Juice of 1 lemon and zest of ½
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Slice the pitta breads into strips and cut across them to make squares about 2 × 2cm. Heat a large
heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add a glug of oil and fry the cubes in a single layer (you
might need to do this in batches) until dark golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and season with
salt.
2. Mix all the remaining ingredients together in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and
season to taste. Toss in the pitta cubes, mix through and serve immediately.

HOW TO MAXIMISE LEMON JUICE
To get the maximum amount of juice from a lemon or lime, roll it hard under your palm for a minute
before juicing.



POMEGRANATE MOLASSES-MARINATED SPATCHCOCK
QUAIL

SERVES 4

This recipe is full of Middle Eastern flavours. I love the combination of spices and sweetness from
the pomegranate molasses. The longer you can leave the quail to marinate the better. Spatchcocking is
a great way of preparing quail, poussin or chicken. By removing the back bone and flattening the
birds along the breast bone you shorten the cooking time, making it ideal for grilling or barbecuing.
Pair with Herby Butter Bean Salad with Crispy Pitta Bread.

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

2 garlic cloves, crushed
Olive oil
6 tbsp pomegranate molasses

4 spatchcocked quail

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Zest of 1 lemon, to serve

1. Place a small pan over a medium heat, add the cumin and coriander seeds with a pinch of salt and
dry-fry for about 2 minutes, or until aromatic. Transfer to a mortar and pound with a pestle.

2. Add the garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil and the pomegranate molasses to the mortar. Mix well, then
taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

3. Season the quail and place in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour the marinade over them, ensuring
that all parts are covered. Cover with cling film and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, and
up to 24 hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.

5. Place a large ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and add a dash of oil. When hot, put the
quail into the pan, skin side down, and fry for 2–3 minutes, until sealed and lightly coloured. Turn and
cook the other side for 2–3 minutes. Add 100ml water, then transfer the pan to the oven and cook for
12–15 minutes, until the quail are cooked through, dark golden and sticky.

6. Serve sprinkled with lemon zest.

HOW TO MAKE POMEGRANATE MOLASSES
You can buy pomegranate molasses from delis, Middle Eastern shops and some supermarkets, but it
is easy to make your own. Simply boil up a litre of pomegranate juice with 100g sugar and the juice
of one lemon. Simmer for about an hour until syrupy. Once cooled, you can store it for up to a month
in the fridge and add to marinades, dressings and tagines.

SALT-CRUST SEA BREAM

SERVES 4

Cooking fish inside a salt crust is very traditional. The salt insulates the fish from the extremes of
heat, ensuring it cooks evenly and seals in all the flavours and juices. It also makes for a dramatic
centrepiece if you crack it open at the table. And no, the fish won’t taste salty – the scales protect the
flesh so it remains sweet and succulent. You can use this type of cooking for most types of fish, though
it’s not ideal for oily varieties such as salmon and mackerel.

2 sea bream (try gilthead, if possible), each about 400–500g, gutted and cleaned, scales on
½ tsp fennel seeds
1 lemon, sliced
1.5–2kg fine sea salt
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.

2. Season the stomach cavity of each fish, then sprinkle in the fennel seeds and arrange the lemon
slices inside.

3. Mix the salt with about 100ml water until it starts to resemble wet snow. Place a 2cm layer of the
salt mixture in a roasting tin and sit the fish on it top to tail. Cover them with the remaining salt,
patting it down to make sure there are no gaps.

4. Place in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the fish are just cooked through and smell aromatic, and
the salt has formed a hard crust.

5. Crack open the salt crust by hitting it with the back of a spoon, then carefully lift it off. Peel off any
skin remaining on the fish. Using the edge of a spoon, run it down the middle of the flesh and gently
push each fillet away from the bones: they should come away easily.



BRAISED LEEKS WITH HAZELNUTS

SERVES 4

This side dish is all about texture, with the sweet, soft leeks enhanced by the crunch of the toasted
hazelnuts. The secret is to get good colour on the leeks before adding the liquid as it adds extra
flavour. It would go really nicely with any fish dish, such as Salt-Crust Sea Bream.

Olive oil, for frying
4 leeks, white parts only, cut into pieces 4–5cm long
2–3 garlic cloves, bashed

3 thyme sprigs

Knob of butter

150ml white wine
50g blanched hazelnuts, toasted and roughly crushed or chopped

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place a heavy-based sauté pan over a medium heat and add a dash of oil. When hot, add the leeks
and some seasoning, then cook for 3–4 minutes, turning frequently, until they are a rich golden colour
on at least two sides.
2. Add the garlic, thyme and butter. Once the butter has melted, add the wine and bring to the boil.
Partially cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer gently for 12–15 minutes, until the leeks are tender
but still holding their shape. If there is a lot of liquid, remove the lid for the last 5 minutes of cooking
time in order to reduce it.
3. Transfer the braised leeks to a serving dish, sprinkle with the hazelnuts and parsley, and pour any
cooking juices over the top.

HOW TO COOK LEEKS
Don’t completely cover leeks when you cook them or the condensation will make them waterlogged
and mushy. For best results, you want the steam to be able to escape.



CHINESE BRAISED OXTAIL

SERVES 4–6

A lot of Chinese cooking involves quick stir-frying over high heat, but they also have a long tradition
of slow braises. The combination of melting oxtail and warming spice is wonderful on a winter’s
night. I like to serve this with buttered noodles and the Radish Salad.

2kg oxtail pieces, any lumps of fat trimmed off
Plain flour
Oil, for frying
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 red chilli, sliced
1 fennel bulb, diced
4cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp coriander seeds

4 whole star anise

4 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
850ml chicken stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas 3. Dust the oxtail in flour, shaking off any excess, season with salt
and pepper. Place a heavy-based hob-proof casserole dish on a medium heat and add a dash of oil.
When hot, add the oxtail and crushed garlic, and fry on all sides until browned. It’s best to do this in
batches. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.

2. Add a little more oil to the pan. When hot, add the onion, chilli, fennel, ginger, soy sauce, coriander
seeds and star anise. Sauté for a minute then add the rice wine vinegar and cook for a further 2
minutes before adding the meat back in to the pan.

3. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and place in the oven for 2½–3 hours, turning
the oxtail pieces occasionally, until the meat is really tender. Serve with the sauce spooned over it.

RADISH SALAD

SERVES 4

Simplicity itself. Four ingredients – radishes, shallots, lemon and olive oil – which combine to
produce far more than the sum of their parts. The freshness of the radishes is everything here as this
dish is all about the crunch.

2 bunches of radishes, leaves on (about 400g in total)
1 banana shallot, peeled and very finely sliced

1 lemon

Olive oil, for drizzling
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Separate the leaves from the radishes. Wash both really well and pat dry.
2. Slice half the radishes and place in a serving bowl. Trim the whole radishes and add to the bowl
along with the leaves. Mix in the shallot, then dress the salad with lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil
and some seasoning.

HOW TO PREPARE RADISHES
Wash the radish leaves carefully as they can be very gritty. If the radish roots need perking up a little,
place the sliced halves in iced water for ten minutes. This will make them slightly crisper.

GRILLED LOBSTER WITH CHILLI, GARLIC AND PARSLEY
BUTTER

SERVES 4

Lobster is such a luxury, you really don’t want to overcomplicate it. A simple dressing of chilli-
spiked garlic butter is all you need to bring out its natural sweetness. You can, of course, buy ready
prepared lobsters, but buying them live is the best way to guarantee freshness. My Bloody Mary
Linguine makes a great accompaniment.

4 × 600–700g lobsters, boiled for 6–7 minutes

FOR THE PARSLEY BUTTER
1 red chilli, deseeded if desired
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

3 tbsp finely chopped parsley

150g butter, softened
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Put the chilli, a pinch of salt, the garlic and the parsley into a mortar and bash with a pestle until
blended to a rough paste. Add the butter and mix thoroughly. Set aside.

2. Place a lobster on a chopping board, insert the tip of a heavy knife into the cross on the back of its
head and cut down towards the tail to halve it lengthways, then cut through the head to create two
equal halves. Discard the stomach sac and black intestinal tract along with any other gunk present.
Snap off the big claws and use the back of your knife to crack the shell in places. Repeat this process
with the other lobsters.

3. Spread the flavoured butter over the lobster flesh. Break off pieces of the shell on the claws and
insert a little butter here as well. Then cover and chill for 10–20 minutes.

4. Place a griddle pan over a medium heat. When hot, place the lobsters on it, flesh side down, and
cook for 3–4 minutes, to lightly char. Turn over and cook for a further 2 minutes with the claws, then
serve.

HOW TO BOIL A LOBSTER
Every cook seems to have different opinions on the correct way to kill lobsters and other crustaceans
and for the most humane way I recommend consulting the RSPCA website, which will show you
which part of the lobster to cut before placing it in a large pan of salted, cold water and then bringing
it to the boil.



BEEF FILLET WITH SALSA VERDE

SERVES 6–8

The Rolls-Royce cut from the Rolls-Royce of meats: it would be sacrilege to mess around with this
much. I like to serve fillet rare, so you can appreciate its almost buttery sweetness, but feel free to
cook it a bit longer if you like. But please, not well done. That would be a travesty. Salsa verde is a
sharp, punchy condiment from Italy that works particularly well with this cut. Team up with Baked
New Potatoes with Truffle and Parmesan for a real treat.

Olive oil, for frying
1kg piece of beef fillet cut from the thick end
2 heads of garlic, halved horizontally
4 thyme sprigs

2 rosemary sprigs

Butter, for basting
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SALSA VERDE
5 anchovy fillets, reserve some of their oil
1½ tbsp capers
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1½ tbsp Dijon mustard
1½ tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Bunch of parsley, leaves only
Small bunch of mint, leaves only
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.

2. Place a heavy-based ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and add a dash of olive oil. Season
the beef all over, then brown in the pan on all sides for a minute or two. Add the garlic, thyme and
rosemary and roll the beef around with the herbs. Add a couple of knobs of butter and, when melted,
baste the beef in it. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 10–12 minutes (rare) or 15–17 (medium
rare).

3. Meanwhile, make the salsa verde. Put the anchovies with a teaspoon of their oil, capers, garlic, a
pinch of salt and the half the herbs, in a mortar and pound with a pestle until a paste has formed. Stir
in the mustard and vinegar. Loosen with a little oil, then stir in the rest of the herbs. Mix well to your
preferred consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

4. Once the beef is cooked to your liking, baste it in the pan juices and transfer to a warm plate. Spoon
over a couple of spoonfuls of salsa verde, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

5. To serve, slice thickly and spoon the salsa verde alongside.

HOW TO COOK BEEF FILLET
Because beef fillet is so lean, it can easily dry out. It’s important to keep basting it, not just before it
goes in the oven, but also once it comes out and is resting.

BAKED NEW POTATOES WITH TRUFFLE AND PARMESAN

SERVES 4

If you’ve already blown the budget on the Beef Fillet, why not go the whole hog and splash out on a
truffle? As soon as it hits the heat of the potato, it will fill the room with its irresistible, pungent
aroma. Black Perigord truffles from France are delicious, but best of all (and twice as expensive) are
the white Alba variety from Italy.

1kg baby new potatoes
Olive oil, for roasting
30g Parmesan cheese, grated
10g black truffle shavings (or white if you’re feeling extravagant)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
2. Place the potatoes in a roasting tin, toss in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast
for 30–35 minutes, until crisp on the outside and soft all the way through.
3. Place the potatoes in a serving bowl and toss with the Parmesan. Top with the truffle shavings and
serve.

USING TRUFFLES
Truffles are equally good with scrambled eggs or silky pasta tossed in butter. Although part of the
same fungus family as the mushroom, you should never cook them or they will lose their flavour.
Simply grate or slice very thinly over your plate at the last minute.



STICKY SPICED CHICKEN WINGS

SERVES 4

Chicken isn’t all about the breasts – the wings can be just as delicious, especially when coated in a
spicy Asian marinade and roasted to sticky perfection. Combine them with Stir-Fried Green Beans
and Thai Rice with Curry Paste and you have a perfect informal supper for friends.

5 tbsp tamarind paste

2 tbsp flavourless oil, e.g. groundnut
2 tbsp palm or brown sugar

1 tbsp fish sauce

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 tsp chilli powder or flakes

16–20 free-range chicken wings, depending on size, wing tips removed
4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced diagonally, to garnish

1. If using a block of tamarind, place it in a bowl with 2 tablespoons hot water to dissolve it. Remove
any seeds, if necessary.
2. Put the tamarind paste in a large bowl with the oil, sugar, fish sauce, garlic and chilli and mix well.
Add the wings and use your hands to toss them thoroughly in the mixture. Cover with cling film and
marinate in the fridge overnight, or for at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
4. Line a roasting tin with foil (to make it easier to clean after cooking) and place the marinated wings
in it. Roast for 25–35 minutes, until cooked through and sticky.
5. Serve the wings warm, garnished with the spring onions.

STIR–FRIED GREEN BEANS WITH SOY AND PEANUT
DRESSING

SERVES 4

Although this requires some last minute stir-frying, you can part-cook the beans in boiling water well
in advance, so they take literally four minutes to finish off. It’s important to get the pan hot enough to
blister the beans and give them some colour – if you have one now’s the time to bring out your wok as
it will help you to control the temperature more easily than a heavy pan.

300g green beans, trimmed
2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter, or 3 tbsp peanuts blitzed in a food processor

1 tbsp soy sauce

½ tbsp rice vinegar
½ tbsp brown sugar
Flavourless oil, e.g. groundnut, for frying
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted, to serve

1. Blanch the beans in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold iced water.

2. Put the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar in a bowl and mix together. Add 1–2
tablespoons hot water if the mixture is very thick. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

3. Place a heavy-based frying pan or wok over a medium heat and add a dash of oil. Add the garlic
and cook for 1 minute, until golden. Toss in the beans and cook for 2–3 minutes, until beginning to
blister slightly on the outside.

4. Lower the heat, add the peanut dressing and stir well.

5. Transfer the beans to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.

THAI RICE WITH CURRY PASTE AND GREEN HERBS

SERVES 4

This is a staple dish throughout Thailand. If time is short, you can use best-quality shop-bought red or
green curry paste, but it’s so easy to make your own and the result will be far more vibrant.

300g cooked jasmine or long-grain rice, preferably 1 day old or chilled for at least 4 hours
Flavourless oil, e.g. groundnut
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lime wedges, to serve

FOR THE CURRY PASTE

2 large green chillies

1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, roughly chopped

2 lime leaves

3cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
Small bunch of coriander
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
Juice of 1 lime

1. First make the curry paste. Put all the ingredients for it into a food processor with 1–2 tablespoons
oil plus a pinch of salt and pepper and blitz until smooth.

2. Place a large frying pan or wok over a medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. When hot,
add the curry paste and stir over the heat until aromatic (about 2 minutes).

3. Add the rice to the pan, stir well and cook for 4–5 minutes, until the rice is heated through. If
necessary, add another dash of oil to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan. Taste and adjust the
seasoning as you wish.

4. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately with lime wedges.

HOW TO STIR-FRY
Tossing the contents of a pan with a smooth flick of the wrist doesn’t just look good – it means you
can stay in control and keep things cooking evenly. The secret is to push the pan away from you and
sharply pull it back. Push away, pull back, push away, pull back. It will take a little practice, but it’s
a skill that’s definitely worth perfecting.



SLOW-COOKED SMOKY PULLED PORK BUTT WITH
CHIPOTLE MAYO

SERVES 8–10

The name might raise a snigger, but boy, wait until you taste this dish. The ‘butt’ is a cut from the
middle of the pig’s shoulder which, with long slow cooking, melts down to the sweetest, tenderest
pork you’ll ever taste. Served with a smoky mustard mayo, it’s the ultimate American party food. All
it needs are some Crushed Potatoes with Spring Onions and Cheese and Broccoli Slaw.

3 tbsp hot smoked paprika

2 tbsp demerara sugar

4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 thyme sprigs, leaves finely chopped, stems reserved
Olive oil
1 × 2–3kg pork butt (front middle shoulder), bone in, rind removed
4 onions, peeled and quartered
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
White baps, to serve

FOR THE CHIPOTLE MAYO
300g best-quality mayonnaise
1–2 tbsp chipotle paste (if unavailable, use 2 tsp smoked paprika)
1 tsp runny honey

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C/Gas 1.

2. Mix the paprika, sugar, garlic and thyme leaves in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then add a
little olive oil to create a paste. Rub the mixture all over the pork, massaging it into the meat. While
it’s absolutely fine to cook the pork at this point, you can also cover and chill it for up to 24 hours to
absorb the spice rub.

3. Put the onions into a roasting tin, sprinkle with the thyme stalks and place the pork, fattiest side up,
on top. Roast for 1 hour, then cover with foil and cook for a further 4–5 hours, until the meat is really
tender and falling off the bone.

4. Meanwhile, make the chipotle mayo. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, season with salt and
pepper and mix well.

5. Once the pork is cooked, cover it loosely with foil and set aside to rest for up to 1 hour before
pulling the meat away from the bone in chunks. Serve with the smoky mayo and baps alongside.

CRUSHED POTATOES WITH SPRING ONIONS AND CHEESE

SERVES 6–8

If you can’t choose between baked and mashed potatoes, these offer the best of both worlds. Roughly
crushed and topped with cornichons, spring onions and cheese, they make a no-nonsense
accompaniment to my Slow-Cooked Smoky Pulled Pork Butt, or any other roast.

1.25kg red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled (cut any large ones to the same size as the smaller ones) 30g of
butter, optional

4 spring onions

100g cornichons or sweet pickled gherkins
175g Gruyère cheese, grated
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Boil the potatoes in salted boiling water until tender.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop the spring onions on the diagonal and dice the cornichons.
3. Drain the potatoes and roughly crush them (still in their skins) with a potato masher. Add the butter
if using. Stir in the spring onions and cornichons, then fold in the cheese. Taste and season as
necessary, then serve.

HOW TO BOIL POTATOES WITH PERFECT RESULTS
Always cut potatoes into even sizes so that they cook evenly, and keep the water at a gentle simmer. If
it boils furiously, the outsides of the potatoes will cook too quickly and become waterlogged.

BROCCOLI SLAW

SERVES 6

This is a lovely healthy side salad that provides just the crunch you need with the soft pork butt. Using
yoghurt instead of oil in the dressing gives a hint of creaminess without the cloying richness you
sometimes get with mayonnaise.

1 head of broccoli

1 banana shallot (if unavailable, use 3 small ordinary shallots), peeled and finely diced
100g currants
100g whole blanched almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

FOR THE DRESSING
200ml natural yoghurt
1–1½ tbsp cider vinegar
Pinch of sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut off and discard the broccoli stalks, then chop the heads into small pieces. Place in a salad bowl
and add the shallot, almonds and currants. Set aside.

2. Put the yoghurt for the dressing into a bowl and stir in the vinegar, starting with 1 tablespoon, and
adding more later if needed. Add the sugar, mix well and season. Taste and add the remaining vinegar
or a little extra sugar if necessary.

3. Pour the dressing over the broccoli, toss well and serve.



STUFFED RIB OF BEEF

SERVES 6–8

The Sunday Roast is the cornerstone of home cooking and a rib of beef is the ultimate. Cooking beef
on the bone not only looks impressive, but it gives the meat more flavour and ensures that it cooks
evenly too. I’d be proud to serve this very simply, with juices from the pan, but as a twist, I’m stuffing
it with mushrooms, spinach and tarragon and adding a mustard glaze. Delicious, especially when
paired with Horseradish Yorkshire Puddings.

3-bone rib of beef on the bone, about 3.5–4.5kg, chine bone (spine) removed

2 heaped tsp English mustard powder

6 carrots, peeled and halved lengthways
6 parsnips, peeled and halved lengthways

FOR THE STUFFING
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
200g Portobello or chestnut mushrooms, wiped clean and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
300g baby spinach
75g breadcrumbs made from stale bread (1 or 2 days old)
2 tarragon sprigs, leaves only, roughly chopped
1 lemon thyme sprig, leaves only

1 free-range egg yolk

Olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Take the beef out of the fridge and allow it to come up to room temperature (about 1 hour). At that
point, preheat the oven to 230°C/Gas 8.

2. Meanwhile, make the stuffing. Place a heavy-based sauté pan over a medium heat and add a dash of
oil. When hot, add the onion with a pinch of salt and pepper and sauté until softened. Add the
mushrooms and cook until tender. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, then add the spinach, in
batches if necessary. Once the leaves have completely wilted, remove the pan from the heat and finely
chop. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool slightly.

3. Add the breadcrumbs and herbs to the stuffing, and stir well. Taste and adjust the seasoning as
necessary. Stir in the egg yolk to bind the mixture.

4. Place the beef on a chopping board with the ribs on the right-hand side. Insert the tip of a sharp
knife on the left-hand side of the meat about 3cm in from the edge and make a long incision just above
the ribs, going two-thirds of the way into the joint. The idea is to separate the meat from the bones,
but leave it attached along the bottom.

5. Gently pull the meat apart and push the stuffing into the gap. It might not take all the stuffing, in
which case, put the excess in a small ovenproof dish, cover with a lid or foil, and bake it for the last
10–15 minutes of the meat cooking time.

6. Tie a couple of pieces of string horizontally around the meat and vertically between the rib bones to
secure the stuffing in place. Put the mustard powder in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper and
enough olive oil to form a thin paste. Rub the mixture into the meat.

7. Place the carrots and parsnips into the roasting tin. Drizzle with olive oil. Put the meat on top of the
vegetables and roast for 15 minutes to brown the outside of the meat. Lower the temperature to
180°C/Gas 4 and continue roasting for 15 minutes per 450g of meat, plus 15 extra minutes at the end
if you like rare beef (the internal temperature should register 50–53°C on a meat thermometer) or for
a further 20–30 minutes if you prefer beef medium rare (internal temperature 54–57°C).

8. Remove the vegetables after 35 minutes and set aside ready to reheat before serving.

9. Once cooked, remove the beef from the oven, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for at least
20 minutes, and anything up to 45 minutes.

10. To serve, place the vegetables back in the oven at 180°C for 15 minutes to finish cooking and
reheat. Remove the string from the beef and slice away the rib bones, then carve the meat and spoon
the stuffing and vegetables on to a serving platter.

HOW TO STORE RIB OF BEEF
Rib of beef should be kept unwrapped in the fridge so that it almost air dries. This will intensify the

flavour and make it roast more quickly.

HORSERADISH YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS

MAKES 12

How can you improve on the traditional accompaniment to roast beef? you might ask. By adding the
other roast beef essential – horseradish – of course. People often complain that their puddings don’t
rise properly. There are two secrets: get the oil or fat really hot before adding the batter, and once
they are in the oven, no opening the oven door until they are all puffed up and majestic.

150g plain flour
½ tsp salt
4 free-range eggs, beaten
200ml whole milk
6 tbsp freshly grated horseradish or 3 tbsp creamed horseradish
4 tbsp vegetable oil, duck fat or dripping

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C/Gas 8. If you are cooking these puddings to go with roast beef, increase
the oven temperature once you remove the beef to rest.

2. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the eggs and half the milk and beat until smooth. Mix
in the remaining milk and the grated horseradish and leave the batter to rest for at least 30 minutes, or
even while the beef cooks.

3. Put a teaspoon of oil or, better still, hot fat from the beef roasting tin into each compartment of a 12-
hole muffin tin or 2 × 4 hole Yorkshire pudding tins and place on the top shelf of the oven until very
hot (almost smoking).

4. When ready, whisk the batter again, pour it into a jug and fill the tin at the oven until each hole is
three-quarters full. (This is safer than carrying a pan of boiling fat across the kitchen.) Watch out as
the oil will sizzle a bit. Put the tin straight back into the oven and bake for 10–12 minutes for the 2 × 4
hole tins or 12–14 minutes for the muffin tin, until the Yorkshires are well risen, golden brown and
crisp on the outside but soft and springy in the middle.



AROMATIC LAMB CHOPS WITH MINTY YOGHURT

SERVES 4

Spring lamb is one of the season’s greatest gifts to a chef and should always be served very simply.
But as the lamb matures through the year and the meat develops more flavour, you can afford to get
more adventurous. This simple spice mix of cumin, coriander, turmeric and ginger isn’t too
overpowering but really enhances lamb’s natural sweetness. A cooling spoonful of minted yoghurt
and a simple salad, like my Chargrilled Broccoli and Bulgur Salad are all the sides it needs.

2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds